Standoff
by Theresalwaysacatch
Summary: "The detective. The criminal. The light, that shines too bright. And the shadows it casts. They all play their part; here, in Destiny City..." Sora tries to navigate around a minefield of deceit and danger, and uncover the truth behind his friend's murder. AU. Relatively short chapters.
1. Prologue & May 3rd, 2012

**I don't own rights to any of these characters; they all belong to Square Enix. Some of the settings also come from the makers of Kingdom Hearts. Many of the characters, however, are not exactly the same as their video game counterparts. It's my first fanfic so please just read and let me know what you think:) Enjoy!**

* * *

_Destiny City. A bustling locale, home to 3.5 million souls. The man, the woman, the child; they each play their part here. They all breathe life into this otherwise dull, unpleasant place. Their thrumming footsteps provide the beat that this city lives off. The tempo of their pulses sets the time. The sights, the sounds; they meld into a stumbling symphony called life. And the complexity of the tune; indescribable, yet familiar._

oooooooooooo

A man waits at a filthy street corner, for...death?

A woman stares out her office window, hoping this mess will be...fixable.

A child bleeds out somewhere (the price of one mistake)

oooooooooooo

_The detective remains oblivious (at the moment)._

_The criminal, less so._

oooooooooooo

_The man. The woman. The child._

_The detective._

_The criminal. _

_The light, that shines too bright. And the shadows it casts. _

_They all play their part; here, in Destiny City..._

* * *

**May 3rd, 2012-Sora**

The white walls and floors of the hospital made Sora sick. He hated everything about this place; the sterile smell, the sterile color. Even the faint sense of sterility he got from the nurses. The receptionist had told him to wait until the doctors cleared Riku for visitors, but if he had to wait more than a few minutes he would puke.

"Grandt? Mister Grandt?" The receptionist called as she signaled for him to come to the front desk.

"The doctors said you can go see him now. Room 502."

oooooooooooo

When Sora got off the elevator on the fifth floor, he saw a doctor waiting for him by Riku's room. He tried to stay calm, but something seemed..off. Maybe it was the somber look on the doctor's face. Or the fact that the nurses had drawn the curtains around room 502 so he couldn't see into it.

He stepped in front of the doctor, and she looked up at him from her clipboard.

"Mister Grandt?" Sora nodded. "...Your friend-he's not doing very well."

He stared back at her. "Whaddoyou mean? Like he's really sick? He have pneumonia again or something?"

The lady shook her head. "No." She looked into Sora's face, then looked down at her clipboard again and remained quiet.

"Did he OD?"

"No-no. He came in here with a gunshot wound."

"What? What did you say to me?"

"When he came in...he had already bled quite a bit. He had been shot and.."

Sora shook his head, as if to shake off what he had just learned. "No way; why would he have a gunshot wound? Why would anyone shoot Riku? He never-"

"Mister Grandt," the doctor cut him off, then awkwardly cleared her throat. "He lost quite a bit of blood and...I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but...All we could do was ease his pain." Sora breathed heavily, started holding his head. He tried to understand what she was saying. He tried to accept what he was understanding. Then, he braced himself for the inevitable.

"Right now, you're the only person he wants to see." Sora held up his hand, asked her to stop speaking. She nodded somberly as he took a breath and opened the door to room 502.

oooooooooooo

It was a strange sight to say the least. To see his friend lying there, peaceful, yet defenseless. Riku had been the strong one, the hard worker, the watchful eye over Sora and Kairi all these years. But at this particular moment he seemed so vulnerable. Purple veins dyed the rims of his eyelids. One of his arms hung loosely off the right side of the bed, and a bloody square of gauze covered the wound in his chest. An IV dripped into him. A smell like old sweat mixed with rubbing alcohol permeated the room, and Sora thought he really would vomit this time.

"So-ra."

"Ya? Riku?" He stepped towards his friend, trying to think of something to say.

"So-ra. Where'd it go?"

"Where'd what go, Riku?"

"Heaven-Where'd it go?"

Sora grabbed Riku's hand. He could recall all the memories he had of his friend_; the two of them sword fighting on the island, his seventh birthday party when Riku got him that game he wanted so bad.._

"Where'd heaven go?"

"Don't talk like that! Riku, the doctors are working hard, and-they told me you're gonna be fine." ..._Riku telling him about paopu fruit...the first day of high school when they got into a fight with some sophomores_... Sora started to tear up. "They said you'll be fine, Riku!"..._The road trip they took with Kairi to Traverse Town_... "Didya hear me?"

With a remarkable surge of strength, Riku lunged forward and grabbed Sora's arms. "Where'd you put it?" He started shaking Sora. Anger replaced the weakness in his voice. "Where'd you hide it? Where'd you hide the heaven?"..._High school graduation...College graduation_...

Sora pushed him off. Riku fell back onto his bed. Sora stumbled backward and plastered himself against the wall. He couldn't process..._Riku helping him start his detective service_...what was happening_...Riku, the best man at he and Kairi's wedding_...

Riku started crying now, too. "So-ra...W-Where-Where did you...?" His voice trailed off_...Riku, helping Sora get through the divorce_...His eyes closed.

"Riku? Riku?" Sora jumped back over to where his friend lay. He held him, tried to shake him..._Riku..dying_...But Riku didn't respond.

* * *

**And thus ends chapter one of Standoff. What did you guys think? And just so you know THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A MUCH LARGER STORY. Btw: As the chapters progress, it may seem at times that you're just getting a bunch of disjointed information. Trust me, you're not. Little details are important! (Hehe) Hope you guys liked it! Tune in for the next chapter!**


	2. Narrator Comment 1

**Yet again, I don't own any characters and the setting I do own is Destiny City. This is a short narrator segment.**

* * *

oooooooooooo

_They were the top alley-dogs, the rulers of Destiny City's dark underbelly. They worked in the shadows, plotted in hushed corridors. They found ways to profit from others' failures (like so many successful businessmen)._

_They were "The 13." The owners of the city. Until 5 years ago..._

oooooooooooo

* * *

**Sorry that was so short! I'm uploading another short chapter right now, too, and I have a much longer one finished that I'm putting up today. As for these narrator sections, you can choose to not read them BUT they do contain clues that can help you figure out what's happening before everyone else does! Btw: the present time in this story is 2012. As always, please review!**


	3. January 5th, 2012

**I don't own the characters or any of the settings aside from Destiny City. Another short chapter (Sorry!) Enjoy.**

* * *

oooooooooooo

**January 5th, 2012-Riku**

Riku took a sip of his coffee.

"Rough day?" Aerith asked. She worked as the waitress here on the night shift, so she knew Riku pretty well (or as well as a coffee waitress can know any customer).

He nodded slightly. Took another sip of his drink. Aerith continued cleaning the tables and sweeping the floors.

Riku didn't want to talk much today. He didn't most days, really, but Aerith often coaxed a few words out of him. Today, though, things were different. He had...seen something. He glanced down at the time on his phone. 11:13. Riku sighed, then nudged the device away from him.

A few minutes later, he was staring at the time again. For a moment, he hesitated. Then he dialed Sora's number. As soon as he did, though, he pulled his hands away. "If I call him now..." he thought, "he'll get mixed up in this shitstorm." He held down the power button and watched the screen blip off.

"For now," he thought, "I'll keep this to myself."

oooooooooooo

* * *

**Wait! Riku's alive? _JK_ Haha; this is a few months before he died. Pay close attention to the dates! They're pretty important.**

**I hope you guys like it! I'm gonna upload a long chapter soon so you don't feel deprived. Please Please Please Review!**


	4. May 25th, 2012

**Square Enix owns all the characters and settings aside from Destiny City. Here's the longer chapter I promised. Enjoy!**

* * *

oooooooooooo

**May 25th, 2012-Namine**

"Out of the way! People, please; make some room." Namine flashed her badge at the crowd. She pushed to the center, where she found the boy's body. As she slipped her badge back into her pocket, she examined him. His limbs were stretched in awkward directions, and he had quite a few freshly broken bones and quite a bit of blood splatter underneath him. It looked like he had fallen from one of the higher floors of the rehab center. She shielded her eyes from the sunlight as she stared up at the building, and sure enough one of the windows on the sixth floor was shattered. Tidus came up behind her.

"What have you got?" she asked him.

"Cloud Strife. 19 year old. He was in rehab for nolke treatment. He's been busted a few times for little stuff; bud, fairy dust, the usual. We did bring him in for nolke use one time before."

"Where are my witnesses?"

"We got one over here;" he directed her to an older lady leaning against an ambulance. One of the cops was trying to calm her down, and she looked like she was shivering.

"Hello, miss?" Namine showed the woman her badge. "I have a few questions about what you saw. Could you tell me what happened?"

"I was-I was just going for my morning walk. Like I always do. And then, right before my eyes-" She started choking up. "He just sl-slammed onto the ground; he fell right in front of me. Got...Got blood on my new shoes." She glanced down at her feet, then started crying. Namine sighed to herself. She tried to think of a way to get more out of the woman.

"Detective?" A voice called from behind her. She turned to see a brown-haired, blue-eyed man in his 30s. "I saw everything."

oooooooooooo

Leon took a sip of his coffee. "So, uh, where do you want me to start?"

"With whatever you saw first." Namine said as she tried to dig a pen out of her pants pocket.

"Look, I-I don't want to sound like a creep. But he was a cute kid, you know? So...sometimes I watched him from my window."

Namine's eyebrows raised slightly. It looked like this account would go back further than a couple hours.

"I live in that apartment right there-" He pointed to the building behind them. "ln the room almost right across from his. At first, you know, I thought he was just a really troubled kid."

"You thought he was troubled because he was in the rehab center?"

"Well, that, and the fact that every time I saw him, he was in his room. Usually he would walk around in a circle, shaking his head or something. Probably talking to himself." Leon paused to clear his throat. "But then I started to realize that was pretty much all he did. Later, he just completely shut off. He'd sit curled up in a ball on his bed all day. So I stopped watching him."

"Then what made you watch today?"

"Well, my window was open and I was getting ready for work, and I happened to look his way out of habit. He had a phone in his hand I think, and he was freaking out. He kept, you know, grabbing his hair and waving his hands every which way. Then, he threw the phone down and stared at it for about five seconds. And...he ran at the window. That was it."

"Did you notice anything else?"

Leon shook his head.

"Thanks, sir." Namine pulled out her card. "If you remember anything other than what you mentioned..." she mumbled as she handed it to him. He nodded, but remained seated as she stood up. "Sir?"

"What would make someone do that, officer?"

After giving it a second's thought, Namine shrugged. "Like you said; he was a troubled kid."

Leon shook his head. "I've lived in my apartment for three years. Troubled kids are all you'll find in that rehab center; trust me, I know. But I've never heard of any of them doing that. Never."

Namine nodded, only half listening at this point. "Try not to lose sleep over it."

oooooooooooo

* * *

**Alright! There's the long chapter I promised. I know it's jumping around a bit right now, but it'll feel less disorienting as you move further into the story. Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	5. May 28th, 2012

**Things begin to tie together here. Also, I've decided most of the chapters will revolve around the experiences of 4 people (one of them being Sora). Thanks for reading this strange, disjointed tale. I promise things'll fall into place, or at least you'll get your bearings, starting (kinda) with this chapter.**

* * *

oooooooooooo**  
**

**May 28th, 2012-Sora**

Sora sat at his desk, flipping a pen between his fingers. Before him lay photos of Riku after the morgue examined him.

"One gunshot wound," Sora muttered as he continued to fiddle with his pen. "From point blank range, but it nearly missed his heart. Bullets from the gun that drunk Cid has." He shook his head. "Cid's a rotten drunk, but..a murderer? And Riku almost never drinks. Why would he a'been coming out of a bar? And didn't that cop mention something about nolke-"

The door of the detective office rattled at the tap of someone's knuckles, and Sora jumped slightly. "Dax? That you?" He asked as he walked towards the door. But a dark haired woman he didn't recognize burst in instead.

"Hey. You run this joint?" she barked. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked like she hadn't taken a wash in a few days. Sora hesitated, but eventually gave her the answer she wanted.

"I need you to look into something for me."

"Miss, I'm not currently-"

The lady slammed a stack of hundreds on his desk before he could finish. "Like I said, I need you to look into something for me." She sat in the seat across from Sora as he began counting. "It's about a...friend of mine." As the total rose past 3 grand, Sora considered accepting the case without hearing the details. Then he noticed the pictures of Riku again.

"Look, miss-?"

"Tifa."

"Right, miss Tifa; this is a very generous offer, but-uh, I'm busy at the moment. I'm currently not taking any cases. You'd do better ta' bribe some info out of the police."

There was a moment of silence. Then she started blubbering right there. Sora reached over to awkwardly place a hand on her shoulder. "I'm a mess!" she yelled. Sora opened his mouth at that, but then he hesitated and decided not to comment.

"I know I'm a fuckin mess right now," she repeated. "But Cloud, he and I, we were gonna get married, ya know? After he cleaned himself up we were. And then...this happened." Sora sighed.

"What happened?"

"His mom put him in rehab after she found out he got on nolke again. He was doin' real good, too, ya know? He just stayed in his room the whole time, never caused no problems. Never said a word to nobody. Then he calls me all upset, making no sense. And he hangs up on me. Then...then he throws himself out a window."

"Wait. This was the guy that jumped out the rehab center a few days ago?"

Tifa nodded. "Ya." Then she reached into the large handbag she had, and pulled out a manila folder. "And what you said about getting info from the police; I got a guy to copy some stuff. I thought it would help and all, so here-"

"Whoa, whoa; miss Tifa. I haven't accepted this case yet. Now I'm sorry, but you're just gonna have to let the police take care..of...this..." Sora's voice trailed off when he realized she was about to break down again. With a softer tone, he continued; "Look, I really am sorry..."

"It's just-" she interrupted, "the police, I told them everything I knew; ya' know, how good he had been, and the stuff he said on the phone. And they tell me they're callin' it a suicide!"

"...Are you sure it isn't one?"

"No; but hell, that's why I came here! Some things, ya' know, there's some things that just don't seem right."

Sora glanced down at the pictures of Riku. "Yeah. I know what you mean." Turning his gaze back to Tifa, he continued. "I'll tell ya what. I really am busy right now, so I'm not gonna take the money you're tryin' to give me. But leave me with the documents you got, and if I have time I'll look into them. Gimme your number, too, in case I need ta' call ya'."

Tifa nodded and scribbled down her contact information on the inside of the folder. "Here," she whispered as she handed it to Sora. "And, thanks. I don't-"

He held up his hand to silence her, then walked her to the door. As soon as she left, he covered her folder with the pictures of Riku and started examining them again.

oooooooooooo

* * *

**I hope things are starting to get a little more sensible here (if only a little, like there's actually some cohesion to the last chapter in this one). Like I said before, I'm gonna try to focus on a small group of people most of the time now, so the disjointedness doesn't get unbearable. The dates will still be super-important, though, so try to pay attention to those.**

**Shoutout to Paopu Summer: 1st review ever-thank you so, so much! I apologize for the joltiness in transitions. I've been thinking about Catch 22 a lot lately (It's a great book, but it's not for everyone) and I think it's been having some bearing on my writing. I'm really gonna try to have things at least tie together a little bit more in the chapters. As for your guess-I'll never tell (hehe). But seriously, you're definitely on the right track. Again, Thanks! Please keep reading!  
**

**Another word (I know, this is a lot of junk at the end, but for anyone who's still reading): I know I've been uploading like crazy today. But believe it or not, I do have a life. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I actually have had what I've just finished posting written out for a few weeks. After today, I'll probably just be uploading once or twice a week (Sorry!). BUT I will be uploading about 3 chapters at a time, so there's that. Thanks to everyone for reading!  
**


	6. April 10th, 2012

**So, here's to another round of updates for Standoff! I don't really have much to say except enjoy and please review! Also, at the end of each group of weekly updates, I think I'm gonna have a "song of the week." Just cause I like good music. And I hope you guys do, too. Anyway, here's more Standoff!**

* * *

**April 10th, 2012-Riku**

Riku jumped at the sound of the lock on his front door jiggling. After he slammed his journal shut and slipped it underneath a stack of papers, he made a grab for the gun in his desk drawer. To his relief, though, it was just Sora who walked in.

"Hey," Riku muttered. He tried to get his heart rate back down to normal. Slid his hand off the pistol.

"Hey." Sora answered. A goofy smile spread on his face as he jumped onto the couch. "Guess what just happened today?"

Riku adjusted his posture to something more nonchalant. "What?"

"Kairi asked if I wanna go out to dinner. Can you believe that?"

"But. I thought..."

"Ya, ya, I know; we're divorced and everything. But hey-maybe she wants to get back together or-"

"Sora...I don't think-"

"Maybe, ya know, if I dress nice at least I'll get luck-"

Riku cut in with a loud sigh. "Try not to get your hopes up. Your relationship is still kinda rocky."

"I know that." Sora mumbled.

His friend nodded grimly. Took a seat. Sora was still staring at him.

"Hey, Riku. I didn't really come here to talk about Kairi. I just wanted to know what's been going on with you."

Riku sighed. He figured Sora would get suspicous eventually. But he still wanted to keep what he knew to himself. "Nothing, Sora."

"Don't bullshit me. What's wrong? You haven't picked up your cell phone in months. You know I'm here if ya' need anyth-"

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am fine." Riku forced a smile. "I just lost my phone is all," he lied. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you."

"Oh, ok. You had me worried pretty damn bad."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. But I really am okay; I've just been, uh, soul-searching a little lately." He grimaced on the inside. Another lie.

"Heh," Sora laughed. "I didn't think you were the soul-searching type." He stared ahead for a while, went quiet. When he turned to Riku again, his expression had darkened. "I was kinda worried you'd disappear on me...Don't do that, ok?"

"Sora. I'm not gonna disappear. I'm not like your cousin-" Shit. That last part just slipped out. He saw Sora clench his teeth and look away.

"Sora, I'm sorry-"

But Sora held up his hand, asked him to stop talking.

An awkward moment of silence fell over the room. Then, Sora spoke quietly; "You never could forgive him for bolting like that, could you?"

Riku sighed and shook his head. "You depended on him. And then he just up and left you."

"I was almost out of high school when he did. I could take care of myself."

"You were just a kid."

"So was he, when he started lookin' after me. Besides, he had ta' go. He didn't have a choice."

Riku shook his head again. "You always made excuses for him. His irresponsibility got you both into trouble more than once-"

"Can we just drop it?"

Riku shifted a little in his seat. Looked away. "Yeah, sure...I'm sorry. I've been pretty on edge lately."

Sora sighed. "It's alright. Kairi and I have probably been driving you crazy."

"No, never," Riku mumbled.

Sora gave him a look.

"Ok, maybe a little. I just hate to see you two fighting. I swear you got along better when we were kids."

"That's true," admitted Sora, laughing to himself.

Then, more silence. Riku got the feeling Sora was still a little angry at him. "You know what?" He said, trying to lighten the mood, "You should have a good time at this dinner. Wear that blue shirt you have. Kairi likes it."

"Yeah." Sora grinned. "Ok. Sounds good...Oh, shit!"

"What?"

"I just remembered; I was supposed go meet Dax half an hour ago. I'll see ya later," he said, jumping to his feet.

Riku nodded. "See ya."

Just after the door shut behind Sora, Riku's cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, so he didn't answer. But few seconds later it rang again.

Riku answered this time; "Hello?"

"Do you value your life?" A confident voice spoke from the other line.

"What? Who-"

"Do you value your life? Yes or no question."

"I-"

"If you do, stop what you're doing. Now. We know what you're trying and we don't like it."

The sound of heavy breathing lingered for a few seconds. Then, all Riku heard was a dial tone.

oooooooooooo

* * *

**(Btw; Dax isn't an OC-he's a character you all know. Keep reading.) Hope you enjoyed the chapter; there's two more comin' your way. Please review!**


	7. May 31st, 2012

**Here's another upload for this week (sorry it's so short; the next one's a lot longer). One more after this. Enjoy!**

* * *

oooooooooooo**  
**

**May 31st, 2012-Namine**

Zack pulled out the report. "Here ya' go," he said rather cheerfully as he handed it to Namine.

"What did you find?" she asked.

"Well, obviously the fall killed him. But...we did find traces of something odd in his blood."

Namine waited. Watched as Zack fiddled around with a microscope. In the past few seconds, he seemed to have forgotten she was there. "Well?"

Zack looked up, startled. "Oh, right. Right. So when we looked at his blood samples we found traces of a nolke-adjacent drug."

"Ok. That's no surprise; he was in rehab for nolke use."

"No, no. This wasn't nolke in his blood. It was something similar, certainly, but it wasn't nolke; the chemical composition was off."

"Well," Namine said as she dug in her pocket for a pen, "then what was it?"

"Sorry?" the scientist asked from behind his microscope. "Oh. Um, right. No clue."

"Huh?"

"Whatever it is, I haven't seen it before. It's definitely not nolke, though; it burrows much deeper into the blood-brain barrier than nolke does." Namine gave him a slightly confused look. "That makes it much more addictive."

"More addictive than nolke?"

Zack nodded, smiling.

"I didn't think there was such a thing."

Zack's smile remained plastered on his face. "There wasn't, until now."

oooooooooooo

* * *

**One more chapter to go this week. Please review!**


	8. Narrator Comment 2 & June 2nd, 2012

**Okay, here's the last bit of my work for the week. As always, enjoy and please review! And don't forget, at the end of this I'm gonna give you guys the song of the week.**

* * *

oooooooooooo

_Two shots. One through the head. One through the heart. It's the worst way to die here:_

_The cops see that; they'll be happy to overlook you._

_You'll be lucky if your family finds you. Even luckier if they recognize you by the time they do._

_Because two bullets? Well, here; that means you're off limits. A marked man. Your corpse is the property of the New Guard, and if anyone so much as looks at it, they'll be hearing from the top dog himself._

* * *

oooooooooooo_  
_

**June 2nd, 2012-Sora and Demyx  
**

"A woman with a badge is pretty hot, yeah?" Demyx grinned, eyeing the blonde policewoman they had just passed. Sora didn't really seem to be listening. He had his phone up to his ear.

"Hm?"

"Forget it. You're too busy busting your balls for your ex anyway."

"M-hm..."

"You even listening to me?"

His friend looked up, a bit startled. "Huh? Oh, sure Dax, sure."

After letting out an aggravated sigh, Demyx spoke again. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Sora looked at his friend, then at the ground. "Dunno. I was just thinking..."

"About what? Don't tell me you're tryin ta' figure out the Riku thing right now."

But Sora was in a different world already, hitting the redial button on his cell and listening anxiously for someone on the other end.

"Who are you calling anyway?"

Sora shut his phone, annoyed at the lack of response from the other line. "Hm? Oh, we already talked about this. That crazy chick that came in the office a few days ago."

"But why?" Demyx asked. "You never answered me when I asked you before."

"That forensic scientist I went to, he said something about the nolke in Riku's system. It bein'...off somehow."

"Yeah."

"Well, he also mentioned seein' another case with a similar problem. That case? It turned out to be Strife, the kid that lady-uh, Tifa-was askin' about."

"Ok. But don't you have the report she gave you?"

"I know what the police report says. But I need to talk to her about some of the things she said, especially about the phone conversation she had with Strife right before he lost it. If I could just get a hold of her-" His phone was up to his ear again.

"She obviously can't talk right now." Demyx whined, trying to snatch the device from him. After a few failed attempts, he gave up and started walking ahead. When he reached the alley connected to the sidewalk, he coughed. "Holy shit-what is that smell?"

As Sora hit the redial button, he glanced up. "Prob'ly just trash." Then he caught wind of the stench, too. "Jesus Christ!"

As he neared the alleyway, he noticed a a faint beeping noise coming from the dumpster. He kept walking, trying to pass the revolting site. He sighed. Hung up his phone. Kept walking. There was a lull in the beeping, but when he hit the redial button, the noise started up again. Sora paused.

He hung up. The beeping stopped.

"Sora, quit dickin' around," Demyx called. "We gotta get back to the office."

But Sora was glued to his spot. He hesitated, then pressed redial again. There was a short delay. Then the same beeping noise started up again. Slowly, he turned into the alleyway.

"Sora-Sora? What the fuck man?" Demyx jogged over to his friend, pulling his shirt over his nose when he entered the alley. "What the hell? Sora!" he called, his voice slightly muffled.

Sora hung up the phone again. The beeping stopped. When he opened the top of the trash receptacle, the smell hit him dead on. He grabbed at the handkerchief in his pocket and smashed it to his nose. But he kept the lid off the dumpster. And he saw...

Sora turned, vomited, then collapsed on the unpaved ground.

"Hey man, let's get out of here." Demyx tried to pull him up. Sora shook his head, pointed at the dumpster.

"She's in there! She's in there!" He shouted.

"What the hell man?" Demyx kept grabbing at Sora's arm, and Sora kept pulling it away.

"T-Tifa; the crazy lady! The one I been tryin' to call!"

"What?"

"She's-she's in there." He pointed to the open dumpster. Demyx turned and looked inside. Near the top of the trash heap, partially covered with empty bottles and food wrappers, was the half-rotted corpse of a dark-haired woman.

"Holy shit!" Demyx thought he would puke, too. He was about to look away, but something else caught his eye.

He grabbed at Sora's arm, more harshly this time, and started to drag him away.

oooooooooooo

After he fully understood what he'd seen, Sora pulled out his phone.

Demyx shot him a glance once they were out of the alley. "What are you doing?"

"Calling 911."

Demyx snatched the cell phone from Sora, successfully this time, and turned it off.

"Dax? What the hell?"

"That lady; she'd been shot twice."

"What?"

Demyx continued. "Once in the head. And once in the heart. You know what that means." Sora nodded. "Forget you ever saw her. And you can't use this phone again. Understand?" Sora nodded again.

He stared back as Demyx led him away. He looked at the alleyway entrance. He thought of what he saw inside. And part of him wondered if he would ever forget that image.

oooooooooooo

* * *

**Pretty serious shit. Anyway, you can expect another round of updates next Friday. And in case you were confused at all, Dax is Demyx. Please please please review!**

**And...Song of the Week! So, I'm making this segment for fun, and also I love randomly finding great music. I felt like I should share some of the stuff I found with you guys, especially since some of it you never would've gotten to hear otherwise.**

**So the 1st ever SONG OF THE WEEK is..."Blood" by the Middle East. It's a really mellow song, but the lyrics are very heartfelt and sad. Please give it a listen, especially if you're a fan of indie or alternative stuff. The music video is very...uh...strange. I would advise that you listen to the song first, without watching the video. It's better that way. ****You may recognize the music from the movie "It's Kind of a Funny Story." **

**Sorry I couldn't post a link; the editing tools on this program keep taking out parts of it. Please at least look it up on youtube!  
**


	9. May 30th, 2012

**Well *clears throat* I said I'd have these up by Friday, and *looks at calendar* it's Saturday. Haha sorry about that. This week I had trouble even starting them; I didn't write until Friday (I usually work little by little all week).**

**Let me just kinda explain what I do every time I try to sit down and add to this. First, I have to reread all the chapters I have posted so far. Then, I usually consult the timeline I made before I even started writing the story. I have to constantly tweak it to fit what I've written so far. Then I continue the story, checking again for any wrinkles in it and ironing them out. And this sounds really whiny; I'm sorry. But I do want you guys to know that I want the story to be perfect for you. I want you to be able to get to one point, notice something, go back to a different chapter and see the exact same thing and say "It all fits." Also, I go back and edit like crazy (I am an editing fiend. I edit like a million times before I even put the chapters up, then when I reread I find more stuff that I tweak).  
**

**Anyway, here's the next round of updates. Recent questions/comments I'll answer at the bottom of this. Read, enjoy, review! In that order. Or else. Haha jk! On to the chapter!  
**

* * *

oooooooooo

**May 30th, 2012-Sora**

"...Then Riku really did have nolke in his system when he died?" Sora asked.

"Nope."

"What?"

Zack continued, oblivious to Sora's shock. "The police report on him, the one you read-I refused to sign off on it. The department had me look at the blood samples first, and I told them whatever he had in him wasn't quite nolke. Of course, I was making things too complicated; they wanted the whole mess to be over and done with. It looked just like a druggie in a bar fight to them, so they wanted it to make it a druggie in a bar fight. Nothing more." Sora flinched a bit at the coarse description. Zack didn't seem to notice. He continued, "They decided to have another doctor examine him; one who'd say whatever was in his system was close enough to nolke to be nolke."

"But you didn't think it was nolke?"

"Well...It's hard to say. Honestly it _was_ very close to nolke, but it affected the blood-brain barrier moreso than regular nolke would. Also, the chemical composition was slightly off. And I don't think that was because the dose was impure; there were additives in it that seemed to have been purposely chosen."

"What are you sayin'?" Sora asked, struggling to follow the doctor's words.

"I'm saying that whoever made the drug Riku took knew what they were doing. It looks like they added chemicals to a regular batch of nolke. They were careful not to put in anything that would make it lethal, and it also looks like they knew which chemicals would make the drug more addictive."

"So it was like a tailored dosage or somethin'?"

"That's one way to put it. It was very specifically altered." Zack smiled at Sora. "So what's all this about? You're not a cop."

"Huh? No, I'm not. I'm a detective." He paused, turning what Zack said over in his head. "Hey; if you knew I wasn't a cop, why'd you talk to me?"

Zack turned away from Sora. His smile faded slightly. "Something is going on, here...something I don't like." He turned back to Sora, his smile suddenly big again. "There's another case I saw recently that was a lot like this one," he said, handing Riku's report back to Sora. "You know the boy who jumped out the rehab center?"

oooooooooo

* * *

**And now it's time to address comments and stuff. My thanks to Paopu Summer, who seems to be the only person reading this. But one is so, so, so very much better than none. So thank you a ton for sticking with this!**

**Paopu Summer: Wow, you are pretty damn perceptive! You are definitely on the right track with most of your guesses. As for Sora's cousin...I can't tell you who it is right now, it'll give away too much. But! I will tell you this; Ven isn't gonna be in this story, so the cousin is one of the other two you guessed. Also, quick correction; Tifa died, not Namine. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear in the chapter. Thanks so so much for sticking with me. Also, if you decide to review this time, tell me which genre of music is your favorite. I'll try and pick out a Song of the Week that you'll like.  
**


	10. January 5th, 2012 A Second Account

**Here's number two of the three chapters I'm uploading right now. I also might add a few uploads throughout this week just 'cause I feel bad. But don't hold me to that!**

**Enjoy the chapter and review if you please!**

* * *

oooooooooo

**January 5th, 2012-Riku, A Second Account**

Riku glanced down at the time on his phone. 10:38. He sighed.

All of Sora and Kairi's bickering had really been getting to him. He couldn't help but feel frustrated; the two of them still very clearly loved each other, yet they couldn't stand being in the same room for five minutes. What had happened between them? They could work through any of their problems together, or so he thought.

And on top of that, his depression. What did the doctor tell him? 'It's to be expected from nolke users attempting to quit.' Of course, it didn't affect him so bad. A few mornings he didn't get out of bed. Some days he just wanted to stay in his room. But for the most part, he felt fine. The doctor called the problem mild, extremely mild.

The cravings didn't drive him crazy, either. Still...sometimes his feet moved on their own, led him back to the familiar street corner. Before he knew it, he'd be face-to-face with his old dealer, Reno. But he always refused Reno's offers. It wasn't that he didn't crave the highs he got from nolke. No, a nolke high could take you to the moon and back; that much he remembered. But he remembered the withdrawal pains much more clearly. The stomach aches. The pounding migraines. The chills. And he also remembered how those few months, Sora and Kairi worried so much they stopped arguing. He felt useless then; he was supposed take care of them. So he swore he would never allow himself to fall so low again. Never again. And yet...

Riku looked up, and to his horror, realized he stood across the street from his dealer. "Shit!" he whispered. But he must have spoken louder than he thought; the noise made Reno turn in his direction. Riku darted behind a street-parked car before he could be seen. He had refused the drug time and time again, but he didn't want to deal with Reno's coaxing. That man...he knew how to sell his supply. And one moment of weakness could ruin months of abstinence.

Then, he heard two voices. One voice, Reno's, came through clear and strong. But another hushed voice chimed in, one he didn't recognize.

"Hey, long time no see, yo." Reno was talking.

"Shhh! How fool are you, boy?" Now the stranger spoke.

"Woah, calm down old timer; ain't no one around."

"Old timer? Show some respect, will you!...Listen, I have a pr..." Their conversation dropped decibel after decibel, until Riku couldn't even make out which of them was speaking.

After it seemed the discourse had ended, Riku peaked up from behind the car. He saw Reno looking to his left. When he followed Reno's gaze he saw a figure in a...black hood. "Oh, no," Riku thought. He'd probably just seen something no one was supposed to see. But before he could duck behind the car again-

"Hey!" Shit. Reno had caught him. Riku sprinted in the opposite direction, rounded a corner, and disappeared into the night.

oooooooooo

After running for about 15 minutes, he realized he wasn't being followed. He sighed, took a breath, and slowed down. A black hood...that meant The 13 was talking to the drug dealers. What were they up to?

He checked the clock on his phone. 11:02. He sighed. His house had to be at least a few miles away, and the run had made him too tired to walk that far. When he looked up, though, he realized he was close to his favorite coffee shop.

oooooooooo

* * *

**Coffee shop. Hmmm...sound familiar? Tune in for one more chapter!**


	11. October 14, 2010

**A little reminiscence from Demyx. Not exactly fluff; trust me, it'll come up later. Anyway, stay tuned for the Song of the Week at the end of this week's round of updates. Enjoy! Review!**

* * *

oooooooooo

**October 14, 2010-Demyx**

_Demyx had never really had any friends before then, so when he heard the dark-haired boy beside him call him 'friend,' he felt confused. "What'd you say?"_

_"I asked if we were friends."_

_"Yeah, yeah. Of course we are," Demyx said. He grinned. He barely even knew the kid._

_"Good." The boy turned to him, held out his hand. "We'll look out for each other. Shake on it."_

_After pausing from the initial confusion, Demyx nodded and obliged the kid. After all, the boy was pretty buff, and the 'shake on it' part didn't really seem like a question. "Alright, yeah. Let's look out for each other." They walked in silence for some time, until Demyx mustered up the courage to speak again (the kid next to him was kinda scary, after all). "Ummm...what's your name again?"_

_The boy laughed. Actually, it was more like a scoff (he didn't seem like the laughing type). "It's-"_

"Dax!" Sora yelled, ripping Demyx from his memories. "Gimme a lift, will ya'." He was struggling under the weight of the files he had brought with him.

"What do you need all these for?" Demyx asked, grabbing half of them.

Sora shrugged. "It's basic intel on important people in the city. I figured it'd come in handy. We **are** gonna run a detective agency after all; we'll prob'ly need it."

Demyx nodded. After placing the files on his desk, he walked back over to Sora. "Hey," he started. Sora turned to him. "Sora, we're friends, right?"

"Yeah, of course Dax." Sora scratched the back of his head. "I mean, we haven't really known each other long, but I think I can trust you."

Demyx grinned, reached his hand out to his new friend. "Shake on it?"

oooooooooo

* * *

**Woah-look at the year on this chapter! Well, I'm sorry if that was too fluffy. I honestly have a lot more chapters scattered around. The problem with it is, I don't want them to come up yet. When I think of material, though, I have to get it down. So I basically always have three or four extra chapters written, weeks before I actually post them. But, honestly, I think I will try and put up another chapter tomorrow or something. Maybe. Because I feel like this one was too short and fluffy.**

**Anyway, the weekly updates are all done and so it is time for...SONG OF THE WEEK (You'll find a full list on my profile page). You know, last week's was so slow and sad; why don't I give you guys something a little more upbeat? Hmm let's take a look through my Itunes...And here we have it Ladies and Gentlemen! "The Rifle's Spiral" by the Shins. It's definitely got more umph than last week's. Enjoy! If you've got any music recommendations for me, let me hear 'em. Tune in for next week's updates and Song of the week!  
**

**One last note; cyber hug to Paopu Summer; your reviews are giving me the drive to keep writing this. I'm not just saying that. If I didn't have your feedback, I don't know what I'd do. So thank you:)  
**


	12. June 28th, 2012

**'Kay, so just one tidbit of info to kickoff the weekly updates, here. Updates are officially moving from Fridays to Saturdays. Hope that doesn't throw anyone off or anything; it's not too big of a change. Anyway, here's chapter 12! Also, I'm responding to last week's reviews at the bottom of this. Read. Review. Enjoy!**

* * *

oooooooooo

**June 28th, 2012-Sora**

Sora kept laughing nervously, trying to fit the key into the latch.

"Sora-" Demyx said, "You don't have to do this today."

Sora straightened himself up, tried the grasp the key a bit tighter and keep himself from shaking. "I-I can, Dax. I need to. I...I put it off l-long enough." He muttered, silently cursing at how weak his voice sounded.

"Alright," Demyx mumbled. Sora took a breath, then finally slipped the key into the lock. He let the door to Riku's apartment creak open. Before he could see inside, he turned away and closed his eyes. It hurt, being reminded of what he had lost. He felt like he was just starting to get over Riku's death, but seeing his friend's apartment now, empty and lifeless...It would be like grinding salt into a fresh wound.

"C'mon man, you can do this." Slowly, Sora opened his eyes and saw that Demyx had already gone in. Demyx turned to him, motioned with his hand. But Sora remained in the doorway, clinging to its frame. "C'mon," Demyx encouraged.

Sora nodded, but hesitated a little longer before stepping inside. He took a deep breath once he reached the middle of the living room, and coughed at the stale atmosphere. The place looked clean, anally clean. Like it hadn't been lived in for a long time.

"Uh...I'm gonna go get the boxes." Demyx muttered as he scurried out.

While Sora had wanted someone to come with him, he was glad when Demyx left the room. He needed some time alone here.

He sighed loudly and flopped onto the couch. Why did he feel so exhausted all of a sudden?

Maybe it was because of the memories. Keeping his memories of Riku at bay wasn't easy. Practically every inch of this place held some dear reminiscence. But Sora tried to push everything out of his head; he didn't want to keep feeling so depressed. Riku's death had ripped him in two, turned him into a zombie. For a week, he couldn't sleep, he didn't talk and he wouldn't eat until Demyx and Kairi burst down his front door and forced some takeout down his throat. And the case. He had focused most of his energy around Riku's murder in the name of closure. But he didn't really care about closure. Closure was bullshit. What would it matter if he did find who did it? Sure, he'd beat the shit out of'em, maybe even kill them, and feel better for all of two minutes before he fell into a depression again. No, he didn't care about closure. In a sick way, his obsession with the case let him be around Riku again. Not in a physical sense, no. But under the guise of devotion to the case, he could let his mind constantly wander to his dead friend. He could let all his actions center around his dead friend. Even most of his latest talks with Kairi were about his dead friend. It was getting ridiculous, really; he knew it. But he didn't dare stop. What if he started forgetting whole chunks of their relationship? Or whole chunks of Riku himself? What Riku looked like? What Riku sounded like?

No. He couldn't. He just...he just couldn't let that happen...

The sound of Demyx clearing his throat made Sora turn towards the room's entrance.

"So I got the boxes..." Demyx mumbled, scratching the back of his head. He placed the cardboard down next to the doorway and lingered there awkwardly before speaking. "See anything you wanna keep?"

"Dunno." Sora muttered. He was lying on the couch, staring off at nothing.

"Hey, Sora. You sure you're up for this?"

Sora pulled himself into a sitting position, ran his fingers through his hair. He kept quiet for a while. "...Just gimme a few minutes, will ya'," he finally said.

After Demyx left, he rose and started looking over Riku's pictures. Almost all of them had he and Kairi somewhere in the background. His eyes welled up a little, but he wiped the wetness away before it could turn into anything more.

ooooooooooo

Sora and Demyx sifted through the papers in Riku's desk drawers now. Sora felt a little guilty, considering he had asked Demyx to come but ultimately hadn't decided on keeping anything but a few old pictures.

"So what do we do with all the stuff we're not taking?" asked Demyx.

"Huh? Oh, leave it here. Kairi hasn't come in yet but I think she'll wanna look too."

"Ok, well I'm gonna take these photos to the car."

"Thanks, Dax."

As the door closed behind Demyx, Sora opened the last desk drawer and pushed around the shallow pile of papers in it. Eventually he took them out and put them on the desk to make sure he hadn't missed anything; all the other drawers could barely close, they were so full. But it looked like this one really didn't have much in it. He moved one of his hands from the papers on the desk, and accidentally pulled a few of them off. He made a grab for them, got most. But two floated onto the floor before he could catch them. He groaned. When he bent down to pick them up, he banged his head on the open drawer.

"Ow!" he yelped, jumping up and holding what would probably turn into a bruise. "Shitshitshit! Ow!" He sucked his teeth.

When the pain started to peter off, Sora looked back down at the papers. But the open drawer caught his eye instead. The bottom of it had shifted a little to reveal a pistol underneath.

"What the-" he mumbled, reaching inside to take the gun out. To his surprise, the entire bottom of the drawer moved. It was...a drawer with a false bottom. Why would Riku have something like that?

After a few moments of uncertainty, Sora pulled the fake away.

He saw another item inside the drawer. A journal.

oooooooooo

* * *

**Thus ends chapter 12!**

**Paopu Summer: Yet again, your predictions are almost spot on. As for Demyx's friend, he is one of the people you guessed. He's also probably my favorite character (aside from Roxas). Thanks for reading! Enjoy the next few chapters!  
**


	13. July 5th, 2010

**Here's a short one. Stay tuned for two more chapters and the Song of the Week!**

* * *

oooooooooo**  
**

**July 5th, 2010-Sora**

The goodbye note scrawled on the envelope was curt; "Sorry, little brother*. I had to go. I put your wedding present in here, I hope it does you some good." Then, a few lengths down, it read "Stay safe."

It was short, but Sora had to read it quite a few times before he fully understood what it said. Had his cousin* really left? A few months before the wedding? A year before graduation?

...How could he?

oooooooooo

*_Sora's cousin is writing to him, not his brother. Sora doesn't have a brother in this, but he and his cousin are so close they often call themselves brothers. It'll come up later, but I wanted to add this to avoid confusion.  
_

* * *

**Oh yeah! Paopu Summer; about one of your earlier reviews on the chapter where Tifa dies. I actually didn't have her name in the story when you read it. I only put it there after I saw your review. I was glad you mentioned that, or else other people probably would have been confused, too. So thanks!_  
_**


	14. July 21st, 2012Sora

**So wow, just noticed this is a very Sora-centric round of updates. The last one is from Demyx's point of view. I think I'll focus a little on Namine's investigation in the next group of chapters.**

* * *

oooooooooo

**July 21st, 2012-Sora**

Sora hung up his phone. He was already leaning forward in his chair, listening to the news when a half-awake Demyx stumbled in that morning.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Demyx asked. Sora shushed him and continued listening to the television intently.

"...And now we're bringing you scenes of the massacre. If there are any children in the room, we strongly suggest they leave. These images are very graphic in nature." Pictures flashed on and off the screen. Each was chock full of the corpses of teenagers and young adults. Most of them had been shot. Some had been stabbed. But all of them were young, and quite undeniably dead.

While the pictures changed, someone from the news station reported: "Today, Destiny City has been a place of mourning. After the police station was bombarded with missing persons reports last night, hundreds of bodies have turned up today. Most were discarded in the street. Some were found outside of clubs and local party scenes. Officials are still unsure whether or not this was an act of terror-"

"Who would do something like this?" Sora asked, as he turned to Demyx. "Dax?"

Demyx had his head in his hands. Sora walked over to him "You ok, Dax?"

"Oh, I...No, I'm not...I've been trying to call one of my friends but they won't answer."

"Oh god, Dax; I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come in today...Go back home; take the day off."

"But-"

"No, It's alright. In fact, I think I'm gonna close the office. There's someone I wanna go see."

"But Sora, you know people are gonna be flooding in. After this? They'll want answers the police can't give them."

"...They'll have to wait another day."

Demyx nodded and walked back towards the door. Sora followed him out, flipping the sign on the front to 'closed'.

oooooooooo

Even in the fifth floor hallway, Sora could hear the news reports coming from her television. The door to Kairi's apartment rattled, then opened.

"Sora," she whispered. Her eyes were red; she must have been crying all morning.

"Kairi...I-" He pulled her in tight. "I was so happy when you called. I was so worried about you." They stood in her doorway for a while, just holding each other, tuning out the warnings on the TV.

oooooooooo

* * *

**Hmm...more gore. Don't worry; I think that marks the end of the bloodiest moments in this fanfic. One more chapter for this week. As always, please review!**


	15. July 21st, 2012Demyx &Narrator Comment 3

**Here's the last chapter of this week's updates. There've been quite a few short ones. I hope the long one at the beginning made up for that. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

oooooooooo**  
**

**July 21st, 2012-Demyx**

When Demyx got back to his apartment, he collapsed onto his sofa. He hated having to lie to Sora. "Although," he thought, "technically I didn't lie. I _have_ been trying to call a friend who won't answer."

He frowned, looking down at the piece of paper in his hand. "For emergencies only" was scrawled beneath the phone number. Demyx sighed. He was hoping he wouldn't ever have to use it. He knew what it meant. But things were getting bad in the city. Really bad. He and Sora needed out, and there was only one person who could help them vanish.

He called the number again.

Finally, his friend picked up. "...It's been a long time."

Demyx sighed in relief at the voice that came from the other line. It was one he hadn't heard for two years.

oooooooooo

_Two thousand, four hundred and fifty-three people, dead in one night. All over Destiny City, it was known simply as "The Massacre."_

_Some people must have heard it; the pickup in the wind, the thunder in the distance. They must have felt the storm coming. That's why some four thousand of them left in the next month; they had good instincts._

oooooooooo

* * *

**And so this week's updates end. Thanks for reading! Please review and tune in next week for more of the mystery!_  
_**

**And, what you all really came here for (just kidding, lol); SONG OF THE WEEK. I think this week, I'm gonna go back to one of my older favorites (not jazz age old, although you can count on there being jazz at some point in the future). Haha here it is, "Save Us" by Feeder. It used to be on a commercial for this show I watched when I was younger, the 4400. Apparently, they also played it a lot on ESPN. Anyway cool song, give it a listen. Word of advice; choose the longest version they have on youtube. For some reason, a lot of the videos cut off the ending.**

**Thanks for reading:).**

**And as always, a full list (in chronological order) of the Songs of the Week is on my profile.  
**


	16. July 21st, 2012Namine

**Hey everyone! Here's a brand, spanking new round of updates for you guys! Responses to last's week stuff at the bottom. Also, stay tuned for this week's Song of the Week at the end of this round of updates.**

**Anyway, on to the chapter. It's got a date that should be very familiar (like, you've seen this date twice already familiar) Read, enjoy, review if you please!**

* * *

oooooooooo**  
**

**July 21st, 2012-Namine**

Chaos. That was the best way for Namine to describe it. Cops skittered from left to right, like chickens with their heads cut off. Some carried bodies. Some took pictures. Some, confused by the overall situation, hovered anxiously around the cars, waiting for something to call in on their communicators. Honestly, even Namine didn't know what she should have been doing, and she always knew what her job was. But the office had to throw together this entire investigation in one night, after being bombarded with missing persons reports.

Namine stepped out of the way of two officers lugging a teenager's body. It hadn't really registered until now; the sheer number of corpses left behind. A few seconds ago, her mind could only focus on the hustle and bustle of hectic atmosphere. But now she stared all around her, taking the scene in. 'The Massacre'-what an appropriate name for this. Dried-up pools of crimson painted the street. The dead lay in layers on top of one another, five corpses thick in some places. The only time she'd seen so many bodies in one place was back when she was a high school student, studying gory photos in her history textbooks.

"Namine-Namine?" She felt an arm on her shoulder. "Namine?"

Tidus shook her lightly until she turned to look at him. "We need you at the office."

oooooooooo

"You all know this by now, I'm sure, but let's start at the beginning. In the past two days, our office received nearly fifteen hundred missing persons reports." Wakka began. "Of course, we sent as many of you guys as we could out to investigate. Today, we are going to sort out this shitstorm that the god of death dropped on our doorstep."

He continued; "Now, I need groups of you to tackle each aspect of this investigation. Newbies; you're gonna bring in anyone-parents, friends, family members-who can ID the bodies. Officers who carried out the missing persons investigations, I need you to get together and find the similarities in your cases. Everyone else, I need you to come meet me in the Room E."

With that, everyone scattered to their appropriate place, dodging desks and chairs, and the hundreds of other police officers and investigators trying to get where they needed to be. A sigh of relief seemed to wash over the room; that lack of direction had been making everyone equally uncomfortable.

Namine shoved passed a few missing persons investigators and made her way to Room E. When she opened the door, she saw five officers and police chief Wakka. One or two others came in after her, but once they did, the chief began speaking to the small group.

"Alright, guys. You are a my elite. I know you weren't looking into the missing persons reports, but I'm sure you've at least heard some things about them?" The officers mumbled affirmatively or nodded. "Good. Shoot me some ideas; whaddoyou think this is all about?"

Silence, for a while. Namine tried to put the pieces together; the age of the victims (which she'd heard mostly fell between sixteen and thirty), the wide scale and brazen attitude of the murderers (murderer**s**, because there had to be a group of them. They also had to be pretty self-assured to dump all the evidence in the street). This kind of behavior; it was indicative of-

"A gang?" Another officer, a woman with her long blond hair tied out of her face, voiced Namine's idea before she could.

"Expand upon that," Wakka replied.

"I mean-I was just thinking with the blatant disregard for secrecy-you know, they disposed of the bodies in the street. And the sheer number-it would have to be an organized group that's not afraid of authority."

"Very good." Wakka turned to write out something on the whiteboard behind him; T-H-E-space-1-3."

Recognition seemed to wash over everyone in the room then; an uncomfortable, fearful sort of recognition. Another officer spoke up; "Didn't they split apart a few years ago? I thought the group disbanded and lost its power."

Wakka nodded. "So did we all, at the beginning. Nolke sales plummeted directly after the break, and there were the deaths that followed, of a few of the founders. It seemed like they'd never regain the momentum they'd lost, but what if they were just waiting for the right time to come back?"

At the mention of nolke, Namine's mind flashed to the Strife case. Zack told her there was something new on the market, something similar to nolke, but more addictive. "...Drugs," she mumbled. The whole room turned to her. "They'd come back in the drug market first."

Wakka looked at her expectantly. She continued, "Think about it; contraband was always their specialty. They got to be so big to begin with by creating nolke. What if they're trying to get back in the game with a new drug?"

"Hmm..." Wakka rubbed his chin. The other officers started to whisper amongst themselves. "Interesting theory; I'll give you that," he said. But then why all the dead bodies; what, are they trying to send a message?"

"I'm not sure..." Namine muttered.

The other blonde officer spoke up. "It does make sense, though. One thing I heard from the missing persons investigators was that most of their cases had drug problems. Specifically, nolke-related problems."

Wakka shook his head. "But it just doesn't add up. Nolke is The 13's big thing. Why would they kill nolke addicts? That's their market."

Namine pondered the question. Then her eyes widened, and she spoke; "Because it's not The 13."

oooooooooo

* * *

**Thanks so much to Dante Must Die and BuddyCakes for the reviews! I really appreciate them; they brighten up my cloudy days.**

**Also, a big thank you to the people following this story; Paopu Summer, Buddycakes, Dante Must Die, and RedSeaGlassStories. You guys are awesome!**

**And finally, drum roll please. *waits for drum roll. No drum roll comes.* Uh, who needs a drum roll anyway? I would like to send a cyberhug to Dante Must Die and copycatbandit, both of whom added me to their favorite authors list. It is such a great honor. I hope I don't let you guys down!**


	17. July 4th, 2010

**Hey guys, if you haven't already, please check out "Dearest Friend" and Big Bear and Little Bear: Pals Forever. They're part of this group of one-shots I'm doing called the "Dearest friend Collection." they're fun, sweet, good-hearted, and a lot lighter than the stuff you're reading right now!**

**On to the new chappie!  
**

* * *

oooooooooo**  
**

**July 4th, 2010-Vanitas**

This was bad, this was bad. Vanitas circled the empty corridor. He wasn't one to scare easily; most people didn't think he was one to scare at all. He had shot countless men without flinching. He'd even stood in direct opposition to the Boss once; stared him down, cocksure and fearless. But now-holy hell, now-he was just about ready to piss his pants.

Everything was taken care of. He tried to tell himself that. Then Demyx rounded the corner and stepped into his line of vision.

"What's shakin, Kevin Bacon?" Demyx asked, grinning crookedly. Vanitas grabbed his arm and dragged him to another empty hallway. "Hey, Van-What the hell?"

Vanitas pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. "Give it to my brother, will ya."

Demyx took it hesitantly. "What's goin' on? You don't look so good."

"Remember when we met? We made a promise." Demyx nodded. Vanitas turned away from him, stared straight ahead. "I don't need you to look out for me anymore, but...My brother; take care of him, okay?"

"Van? What's goin' on? Tell me what's goin' on."

Vanitas sighed, then shook his head. He turned back to Demyx. "I can't." He dug around in his pocket, pulled out a piece of looseleaf and scribbled something on it. "Here," he mumbled. "Just in case."

Demyx looked down at the number and the words beneath it-_for emergencies only_. "...Wait. In case of what?" But by the time he finished speaking, Vanitas had already made his way to the end of the hall. "Van!"

He paused, half-turned back to Demyx. "You were...a good friend. Stay safe." Then he disappeared around the corner.

oooooooooo

* * *

**Hmmm...and suddenly there's a Vanitas in this story. Two more uploads for this week left!**


	18. Narrator Comment 4

**One more chapter after this. Enjoy!**

* * *

oooooooooo_  
_

_In a quiet room, they sit. All thirteen together. All silent, waiting expectantly for the man at the head of the table to speak. They mask their excitement well here, in their first meeting together._

_ Many things will follow this moment; danger, crime. Pain for some, fame for others. Deception for all._

_ But at this moment, all is well. They are all together. All sure of themselves. All one..._

oooooooooo_  
_

* * *

**One more chapter to go..._  
_**


	19. June 3rd, 2012

**Here's the last chapter of the week for you guys. Again, a huge thank you to everyone reading. It means a lot to me; it really does.**

**Don't forget, Song of the Week is at the bottom of this!**

**Anyway, on to the chapter!**

* * *

oooooooooo**  
**

**June 3, 2012- Namine**

Namine settled into her couch after pouring herself a glass of merlot. She clicked on her television, flipping the channels until she heard the phone ring. She paused. Work was over; she was off the clock. No one should have been calling her right now. After leaning her head back and groaning, she answered the phone.

"Hey Namine, how're you?"

"Oh, hey Tidus. What's up? Do I need to come back to the office?"

"Oh, no. I was just callin' about the Strife case. The police chief said good job on closin' it up so fast. He's proud."

"So proud he couldn't call me himself..." she muttered.

"Hey; you know it's not like that. He'll probably wanna talk tomorrow...So, did ya ever find why the psycho did it? Jumped out the window, I mean."

Namine sighed. "Unfortunately, no. I tried calling that girlfriend of his for three days; she never answered. From what she told us about their phone conversation, though, it sounds like he had a nervous breakdown. That's what I put in the report after I confirmed it with the doctors. Still..." Namine rubbed her chin.

"Still what?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Aren't you heading out the office soon?"

"Yeah, in the next few minutes."

"I won't keep you then. Bye, Tidus."

"See ya."

Namine set the phone down. She stared blankly at the TV, eventually turning it off and sitting with the glass of wine, still full, in her hand. She swirled it around as she stared at the drink. The question everyone asked her about the Strife case was why he did it, but it was that question that she simply couldn't answer. The kid's mother had been useless, reluctant to tarnish her son's already imperfect image. The girlfriend, on the other hand, spilled her guts to the police in the hopes that they could give her some closure. Still, her testimony hadn't gone far enough to explain Strife's motive.

Namine swirled her wine a few more times. What happened to that woman, anyway? What was her name? Right, Lockhart. Tifa Lockhart. The day she came into the office, she would've done anything for more information on her boyfriend, but a few days later it was impossible to get in touch with her. Namine didn't mention this to Tidus, but she'd gone to the woman's house. Twice. No one answered the door. What's more; the letter after letter clogged the mailbox, and by the second time Namine visited, it couldn't close properly, it was so full.

Unchecked mail. Unanswered phone messages. An empty house. Where had Lockhart disappeared to?

Namine brought the situation up to one of the higher-ups, but he told her she needn't worry; she could close the case without the woman. He had been right.

Still, Namine set her glass down and moved over to her computer chair. Another thing had been bothering her; the drug aspect of the case. It added a certain complexity to the matter, mainly because almost all the drugs in Destiny City used to come direct, from a group called The 13.

Namine thought for a moment on what she knew about them: The 13 started off small, but after making some smart moves and benefiting from the achievements of a talented chemist, they managed to corner the drug market. Ever since the main members had a falling out, though, things had cooled down. What was that-five years ago? Namine looked it up. Sure enough, she found a site that mentioned the schism. According to the source, it occurred on April 30th, 2007, and resulted in the group's disbandment.

What still bothered Namine was what Zack said about the new drug in Strife's blood. This new drug; where had it come from? The last new one to appear in Destiny City was nolke, in 2004. Shortly after nolke's appearance, it became clear that The 13 probably paid off some chemist to invent the stuff. What Zack had mentioned, then; this new nolke-adjacent drug...Was it also something The 13 had invented?

oooooooooo

* * *

**Thanks for reading. More updates to come next Saturday! Also, don't forget to check out the two one-shots I have up that are part of my Dearest Friend Collection; "Dearest Friend" and "Big Bear and Little Bear: Pals Forever"**

**And for this week's SONG OF THE WEEK we have..."Postcards from Italy," by Beirut; it's full of beautiful instrumentals and nice vocals (in my opinion, though I can see where some might not agree). Please go to youtube and look it up; it's a great cover of the song. You might also try the Florence and the Machines version, which is also ammmaaazing. Have a great week and thanks for reading! And as always, a full list of the Songs of the Week is on my profile!**


End file.
